arête

fish bone

noun ah-RET Rare

Origin: From Latin arista (awn of grain, sharp edge).

Also means

ridge (mountain)

Usage Note

Arête has two main uses: in everyday life it means a fish bone (avoir une arête dans la gorge - 'to have a fish bone in one's throat'), and in geography it refers to a sharp mountain ridge. It also appears in geometry for the edge of a solid. Do not confuse with os (bone of a mammal) - arête is specific to fish.

Examples

"Elle a avalé une arête de poisson."

Natural Translation

She swallowed a fish bone.

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